The Lucky One
by Kristen3
Summary: On their fifth wedding anniversary, Niles and Daphne share a romantic dinner and realize just how in love they are. One-shot.


**Author's Note:**Dedicating this fic to Andrea (iloveromance) and Melinda (SamandDianefan10). Hope this is melt-worthy enough for you two! :) Also thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for helping me w/ drafts as I wrote!

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><p>Niles looked across the table at Daphne. He felt his heart skip a beat, as it always did when he looked at his wife. Tonight was their fifth anniversary, and he still could not believe that Daphne had chosen to spend the rest of her life with him. He sometimes wondered how someone so kind and caring would ever want to be with him. After all, he'd spent almost eight years afraid to even give her the slightest hint of his feelings for her. He shook off such thoughts. He did not want anything to spoil this special evening.<p>

"Niles, what's wrong?" Daphne asked. "You're being awfully quiet." She reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

"I was just thinking," Niles replied. "About the first time I saw you."

Daphne smiled. She remembered it like it was yesterday. She had been doing laundry when Niles walked in to his brother's apartment. Frasier had introduced his father's new physical therapist to his younger brother. None of them had a clue that something big had started in that first glance. "You were very charming."

Niles blushed. "No, I wasn't. I was speechless. I knew right then that I loved you."

Daphne leaned forward then and kissed her husband. She smiled at the slightly dazed expression his face.

"You were...so beautiful," Niles said. His breath caught in his throat, just picturing her.

"Well, you were awfully handsome, too." Daphne remembered how shy he'd seemed. He was so different from his brother.

Now it was Niles' turn to blush. "I wish you'd told me that then," he said with a laugh.

"I couldn't very well tell you a thing like that while I was busy folding your brother's underwear!" Daphne laughed.

Niles thought that, in his whole life, he could never hear a more beautiful sound than Daphne's laughter. "Well, that's true. And I was a married man then." Niles hated remembering his earlier marriages. They had both been mistakes which stood in the way of his happiness with Daphne.

Suddenly a gust of wind came up from the ocean near their outdoor table. Niles had spent weeks planning this dinner, even getting the restaurant to close for the night to give them privacy. When the breeze caused Daphne to shiver slightly, Niles immediately rose from his seat. He walked around the table and took off his jacket. He carefully placed it around Daphne's shoulders. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," Daphne replied, kissing him. She watched her husband return to his seat. Suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind. "Frasier's balcony!"

"What?" Niles asked, completely confused by his wife's outburst.

"Don't you remember?" Daphne asked. "Frasier had that Christmas party in his apartment, and you wanted to talk to me out on the balcony. I was cold, so you gave me your jacket, like you did just now. That was the moment I knew I loved you."

"Oh, my love," Niles replied. They kissed again. "An angel like you should never be cold."

"That's a lovely thing to say," Daphne said, smiling at him. "But I'm afraid you're exaggerating just a bit."

"I'm not," Niles replied. "I'm just hopelessly in love with you."

Daphne blushed slightly. Even after all this time, Niles' compliments were still over-the-top. She never quite knew how to respond, since she wasn't used to being complimented at all, much less the way Niles did.

Seeing the look on Daphne's face, Niles asked, "Did I upset you?"

"No, of course not, darling," Daphne smiled, as she took hold of his hand. "I just don't know what to say."

"Well, if I do go a bit overboard, it's only because you saved my life," Niles replied, never taking his eyes off her.

"How on earth have I done that?" Daphne asked with a laugh.

"Oh, my love," Niles sighed. "You have no idea what my life was like until I met you. I had my patients, my precious wines and my operas. And of course my comfortable mansion and my comfortable, loveless marriage. And then one day, my brother introduced me to my father's healthcare worker."

Daphne smiled. "Well, if it hadn't been for you, I'd probably still be living in your brother's house, spending the rest of me days looking after your father!" She had always loved taking care of Martin, but now she was a member of the family, rather than just hired help. She liked the security of knowing she had a place where she belonged, no matter what. Daphne let out a contented sigh. Looking around her, she saw all the trouble Niles had gone to in making their night perfect. "This place is lovely," she remarked.

"I'm glad you think so," Niles replied. "This restaurant has only been open for a few weeks. When I saw these outdoor tables and this beautiful view, I knew I had to bring you here. But of course, the view out there is nothing compared to the one right across the table from me." He took Daphne's hand in his.

Daphne kissed his cheek. "Well, my view's not so bad either," she said with a smile. "But I would've been just as happy eating dinner at home."

"I know," Niles admitted, looking a bit sheepish. "But what's the point in me having all this money if I can't spoil you once in a while?"

Daphne kissed him again. "You don't have to buy me expensive gifts or take me on exotic vacations to make me happy, you know. Remember the night you proposed to me? You just got down on one knee and asked. No fancy preparations, just you and me. That's all I've ever wanted."

Niles smiled to himself, remembering. Little did Daphne know that a lot of preparation actually had gone into that night. But when she came down with the flu, Niles cancelled the whole thing. He'd planned to wait till she was better to propose. But at the last moment, he'd decided to do it anyway. Hearing her say yes had been worth everything. "Oh, my love," Niles sighed. "That was one of the greatest nights of my life."

"I might have enjoyed it a bit more had I not been so bloody sick," Daphne said. "But it was worth it." She kissed Niles one more time. She could not imagine having a better husband than Niles. He never missed an opportunity to let Daphne know he adored her. And he was also a very proud father to their three-year-old son David. Their life together was everything Daphne could want and more. Once again, Daphne took in their beautiful surroundings and sighed.

For a few moments, Niles and Daphne ate in comfortable silence. It was nice for once to be eating alone. Though they both adored David, the peace and quiet of their beachfront table was a welcome change.

Daphne broke the silence. "Everything about this night has been perfect." She reached across the table to take Niles' hand. "I'm so lucky to have a husband who takes such good care of me."

Niles could barely breathe for the lump in his throat. The love he felt for Daphne was nearly overwhelming. For a split second, he remembered his previous marriages. Both had been filled with nothing but pain and regret. But what he had with Daphne now was something else entirely. It was a kind of love he hadn't even known existed before he'd met her. "My love," he said, kissing her. "I don't see how you could be any luckier than I am to have you."

**The End**


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